Turns Out, I Dodged Hell

"I fell for Mike Spencer the second I saw him! I wanna be with him! Demi's way smarter—she'll totally crush it running the company!"Our parents looked ready to hand me over to the Spencers, but Cecilia freaked. Her face turned bright red, like she was about to combust.Girl was desperate to snag Mike and seal her spot as the wife of some rich heir.Funny thing? Just a few days ago, she was out here flexing about being a boss babe. Now she'd flipped the script completely.Mom and Dad were too stunned to say anything, totally thrown off by how fast she switched up.Me? I stayed quiet on the couch, flipping through the company's financials with a smirk. Even with a second shot at life, Cecilia couldn't help crashing headfirst into the same mess.Mom kept quiet, but Dad had thoughts—as usual."Cecilia, it's better to count on yourself. Sure, he might like you now, but people change. I've heard things about Mike... not exactly glowing. Just think about it. I don't want you getting h

I turned toward the shadows. Some guy had slipped in—tall, sharp, and absolutely radiating 'don't mess with me' energy.His face? Ridiculously perfect. But right now, he looked like a storm ready to wreck everything.Silence hit the room like a slap. Then someone whispered, "M-Mr. Felton!"Boom. Chaos.Terrance Felton. The Felton family's top dog. Straight-up Norwick royalty.One raised eyebrow from him could crash a company. Most of us wouldn't even breathe the same air as him.People started whispering fast. Why the hell was he here?Only one person looked relieved—like she just spotted her personal hero. The girl ran straight into his arms, tears spilling."Terrance! You know I didn't mean to!"Mike's dad, old and sly, jumped in first."Mr. Felton! Big misunderstanding, that's all!"He went in for a handshake. Terrance? Dodged it like nothing and locked eyes with Cecilia."So many witnesses. Wouldn't be fair to let this slide, right? Let's just roll the security footage.

I twitched. Mike must've smacked her one too many times—girl sounded fully concussed.Fifty million? Why not just ask for the whole company while she's at it?Something outside caught my eye. Quick flash, but familiar. I leaned closer.Once I realized I wasn't seeing things, I laughed."So, how's life with Mike these days?"Instant mood shift—hit her right in the ego."What's that supposed to mean? We're perfect, obviously! Unlike you—no guy would ever want you!"Terrance's jaw ticked at that. Weird. No clue why he was irritated.Still locked on the street, I switched to video call."The guy who just walked out of the shopping mall with another girl... isn't that your husband?"That was the day Cecilia totally snapped. Screamed like she belonged in a horror movie.I didn't bother replying—just dropped the phone on the seat and went shopping with Freya.When I got back, she was still yelling.Gotta admit, the girl had stamina.But after that meltdown, maybe realizing she w

I'd been in Terrance's car plenty of times—but never like this.Freya was stuck overseas, so it was just the two of us. Quiet. Awkward. Tense.He'd rushed over the second he got the call. They were seconds away from forcing me to give in—maybe even locking me up.And Cecilia? She dropped the nastiest line yet:"I've known for a while you were reborn too. All your big ideas came from some entrepreneur you saw in your past life. You already had two kids with Mike—don't act like you're still pure."That was it. I snapped. Slapped her across the face.Then I lost it, fighting like hell to break free.When Terrance stormed in, he found me alone, struggling against four people.Hair a mess. Clothes torn. Face scratched.So yeah—Mike got another beating.This time, he didn't get back up.***The tension in the car was suffocating. I couldn't take it anymore."Bet that was a fun little show for you," I muttered. "Still... thanks for showing up."The car jerked to a stop. Terrance

Cecilia wouldn't shut up—going off about how I ruined her life, turned her from some spoiled heiress into a trainwreck.Said she lost the baby after one of Mike's beatings. Somehow, that was my fault too.She swore the second they got the money, she'd kill me, then ride off into the sunset with Mike.No clue what fantasy he fed her, but by the end of it, she was full-on laughing.I nodded, playing along, just in case she snapped early."Totally. You guys are gonna live the dream. I totally lost in this life. So jealous, Cecilia. You're the real winner—your man loves you and you're rich."Mike had clearly messed with her head. She couldn't tell up from down, just kept grinning like she'd won.But that smile tugged on a busted lip from yesterday's beating, and she flinched.While I sat there wondering how much longer I'd be stuck in this dump, an engine roared outside."Mike Spencer! I brought the money! Where's Demi? I want to see her unharmed!"The second I heard his voice, t